Optical fiber systems are increasingly used in a variety of communications applications, including voice, video, and data transmissions, because they offer a high bandwidth for signal transmission, low noise operation, and inherent immunity to electromagnetic interference. Such systems typically require connections of optical fibers at various points in the network. For example, connection points are commonly needed to (i) connect individual optical fiber cable lengths to create a longer continuous optical fiber, (ii) create branching points that reroute fibers in the same cable in different directions as needed to provide fibers at desired locations, and (iii) connect active and passive components of the system.
Optical fibers used for voice, data, and video transmission typically include a glass core, where the majority of the light signal travels, and a surrounding glass cladding, which serves as a waveguide to keep the light traveling axially in the core. The glass core and cladding are surrounded by one or more protective coatings, for example, polymeric coatings, which offer mechanical protection to the underlying glass cladding and glass core. The inner coating is typically a softer, relatively low modulus polymeric material selected to buffer the glass cladding and core from mechanical stresses. The outer coating is typically a higher modulus material that provides mechanical protection while facilitating handling of the optical fiber over the cabling, installation, and operating life of the optical fiber. Additional intermediate coatings may be included as desired. The overall cross-section of the optical fiber will thus be significantly bigger than the glass core and glass cladding.
Conventionally, optical fiber connections are made by (i) fusion splicing where two ends of the optical fibers are welded together at glass contact points (and a protective sleeve placed over the weld point); (ii) mechanical splices where the two ends of fibers being joined are coupled together with a mechanical apparatus; or (iii) mechanical connectors where the two ends of fibers are coupled together with a mechanical connector. Fusion splicing and mechanical splicing are designed to be performed once, while a mechanical connector is designed to be connected, disconnected, and reconnected multiple times over the useful life of a connector while providing a high-quality, low-added-loss, low-optical-reflection joint between the connected optical fibers.
The continued surge in the market for high-bandwidth communication services/content to the home (e.g., high speed Internet access, cable television, high-definition television (HDTV), and video-on-demand) has created the need to reduce the costs and complexity of installing Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) networks. In order to expedite deployment and improve cost efficiencies of fiber optic system installations, plug-and-play items such as connectors, adaptors, converters, terminals, and pre-connectorized cables have been developed to accomplish lower cost and less complex FTTH networks. These plug-and-play items give service providers the ability to turn up service quickly, often without the need of a highly skilled splice technician. The cost of FTTH network deployment can be reduced by initially installing the feeder and distribution cables of the network and subsequently making connections from the distribution cable to the home with pre-connectorized drop cables. This also allows the cost of the last connection to be realized at the time the customer purchases the service (Internet access, cable television, HDTV, and video-on-demand).
A “drop cable” is typically designed for connecting one or more optical fibers from a larger network, outside a home or business, to a local network of a home or business. Each end of the drop cable requires an optical fiber connection, which is selected to mate with another connector. The mating ends of connectors may be installed onto the fiber ends either in the field (e.g., at the network location) or “pre-connectorized” in a factory prior to installation into the network. The advantage of installing the mating ends of the connectors in a factory is that the connector installation process can be made faster, less expensively, and with a higher quality in a manufacturing environment than in a field environment. For example, polishing and tuning procedures may be incorporated into optical connector manufacturing of connectors that are generally assembled onto optical fiber in a supplier's manufacturing facility.
Pre-terminated fiber cable assemblies can be provided with durable cable and hardened/weatherized connector ends that make it easy for an installer with little or no formal training to provision a customer drop. Examples of a hardened/weatherized connector include the OPTITAP™ brand connector, commercially available from Corning Cable Systems, and the DLX fiber optic connector system, commercially available from TE Connectivity. However pre-terminated drop cable assemblies require the selection and stocking of fiber optic cable product that exceeds the distance between the fiber tap and customer demarcation, therefore requiring the storage of slack cable length somewhere within the drop run.
It may be desirable to provide a drop cable assembly that minimizes the amount of slack to be stored within the drop run, while still providing an assembly that allows quick, easy, and secure attachment of a connector or fitting to either end of a drop cable so that the drop cable can be terminated to a device or housing.